1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a veterinary device, more particularly, to a device for immobilizing animals, such as pigs, to enable an operator to perform a veterinary operation such as castration, innoculation, surgery, tattooing, or the like.
Prior inventions are known for holding animals, such as are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,273, issued June 16, 1964 to Greenwood, showing an animal holding device in a V-shaped platform configuration with a muzzle and leg shackle mounted upon a vertical rod. A disadvantage associated with this device results from failure to provide for adjustment of the muzzle cone. Consequently, in order to be usable for the largest animals typically encountered, the muzzle cone must be large enough to accommodate the head of such an animal, rendering the device unusable for very young animals. Moreover, the device requires a complicated mounting platform, and is not readily portable. Greenwood U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,026, issued Nov. 24, 1959, shows another animal holding device, but without means for containing the head of the aminal, such as a muzzle cone. This device requires a suitably located elongated horizontally disposed member for mounting and consequently cannot be portably moved to a field, barn, or other location where a mounting board of a suitable size and height is unavailable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,131, issued Jan. 5, 1965 to Bradshaw, shows a device for holding an animal on its side with a jig for thrusting the animal's upward rear leg forwardly. The muzzle cone shown in the Bradshaw patent is not adjustable, requiring the operator to group animals in small, medium and large sizes. A further problem arising from use of the Bradshaw device is that certain veterinary operations, such as ear notching or tagging of the lower ear, are not easily performed with the animal lying on its side. U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,071, issued Dec. 20, 1970 to Scott et al, shows an animal cradle with a plurality of straps for holding the animal in a supine position. Since a muzzle and easily adjustable horizontal bar are absent in the Scott et al device, an animal such as a 50 pound pig cannot be expected to be easily secured by a single person into such a device, both hands being required for operation of the pair of levers fulcrumed on the rail for placing straps to hold the animal. Moreover, the opertor's feet must be used to maintain the straps in a tautened state while operating the holding levers.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,089,283, issued Mar. 3, 1914 to Stebbins, shows an operating table for use in animal research, tying each leg of the animal individually and providing no muzzle for securing the head. Considerable effort and time for tying the legs would be expected to result, and for certain animals, such as pigs, sideways spreading of the legs would be undesirable.